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Blond Gamer Girl

Playing it military style

To all GMS and Players out there (and please put your perspective), do you give (get) bonuses for doing a thorough reconnaissance and adequate planning and practice (Think Oceans 11, their practice run…) If so, what do you do? Lower the difficulty? Amount of hits needed?

Having said that, I do mean recon and planning like the true military do. As a player, I’ve taken several GMs by surprise by trying to play it by using recon and strategy which I don’t get because I really enjoy those aspects of gaming.

Comments

As a GM, I do grant bonuses to engaging reconnaissance missions. However, the bonuses are directly tied to how much recon is performed.

For example, if Railin the Rogue uses stealth to get close to a bandit camp and study the enemy, I would expect (and vocally encourage) the player to select two or three areas of the camp, and each area would warrant a suitable skill or ability check. Afterward, Railin the Rogue will need to relay his observations to the rest of the party; if the player is thorough, everyone receives a bonus to skill checks and attack rolls equal to the number of successful skill checks Railin made, but those bonuses only apply with regard to the areas that Railin observed and noted.

I encourage this type of play style because it pulls the players beyond their dice. Sure, d20 rolls are important, but the players' direct involvement in the story can yield surprising and engaging rewards, and as a GM, I enjoy crafting surprising and engaging stories that matter to the players and their characters.